LEADERS Portmore United made a positive start to their 2012 Red Stripe Premier League campaign by defeating Waterhouse, 1-0, in a thrilling game at the Ferdie Neita Sports Complex in St Catherine on Wednesday.

It was a game which had the home supporters on edge and hearts pumping to the very end, while on the other hand, the visitors’ following were expectant with each possession gained.

The lone item in the match was scored in the 28th minute by Alonzo Adlam, who completed an awesome one-two combination pass with Andrew Vanzie that left the Waterhouse defence in a quandry.

And no sooner had the goal been scored than the tempo increased, especially in the visitors’ approach, and they came close at scoring with about two minutes in the half remaining.

A thunderblast cracked by Vincent Earle from on the edge of the box cannoned off the near post on to goalkeeper Garice McPherson and back into play, but Jermaine Anderson, in whose path the errant ball fell, chose to pass, rather than to go for goal.

“It was a good game. We enjoyed possession in the first half and scoring without conceding is always a good thing and we earned three valuable points,” said winning coach Calvin Lewis, who was pleased with the result.

Marcel Gayle, standing in for the indisposed Donovan Duckie, also thought it was a good game.

“Our major letdown was that we failed to score, and this is something that we have to set right, for it’s goals that win matches, and that is the objective of our play,” he declared.

Ending the first half with a goal advantage was rich dividends for some sound defending and ebullient attack from the Red Stripe Premier League leaders, who at times appeared as though they could run riot and take their opponents apart, but the visitors held their nerves.

Falling behind seemed to have left a sour taste in their mouths and Waterhouse returned for the second session in search of the equaliser which never came, but the only marks they might have lost were not to have at least left the grounds with a point.

Portmore United — Garice McPherson, Upton Edwards, Rickardo Harriott, Adrian Reid, Andrew Christie, Andrew Vazie, Eric Vernon, Alonzo Vazie (Tremaine Stewart 64th), Ewan Grandison, Ricardo Cousins (Ricardo Morris 84th ), Roen Nelson (Shauntel Mundle (86th)

Subs not used: K Foster, A Lewis, P Wilson, A Nickles

Booked: Edwards 19th, Vernon 73rd

Waterhouse — Kelso Cousins, Rohan Amos, Victor Thompson, Romaine Barnes, Hugh Howell, Andrae Campbell (Desmond Breakenridge 24th), Akeem Thenstead (Adrian King 89th) Loxley Thomas, Carlos Barrett, Vincent Earle (Kemal Malcolm 72nd), Jermaine Anderson

Subs not used: R McCallum, J Ricketts, J Watson, N Edwards

Booked: Barrett 52nd, Thompson 80th

Referee: Courtney Campbell

Assistant Referees: Garnet Page, Damion Williams

Fourth Official: Oneil Watson

Match Commissary: Anthony Cooke

— H Williams